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UK: New Home Secretary Javid pledges Windrush help

Posted on Friday, May 04, 2018 by Francis Harris

GETTYIn a defiant series of tweets on Saturday Rudd insisted she wouldn't quit

The following day, however, she returned to the House to admit that Immigration Enforcement managers did use "local targets" but she said they were "not published targets against which performance was assessed".

"Misled", many would contend, is a euphemism for lying.

What is the Windrush scandal? As so often, the instincts of the British people are right. "But they also want the government to remove those who don't have the right to be here".

Rudd's departure from the government is a massive blow to May, who was her immediate predecessor in the Home Office.

However, she was criticised for saying the Home Office was "too concerned with policy and strategy and sometimes loses sight of the individual", prompting accusations that she was trying to put the blame on civil servants.

The resignation came late Sunday after the Guardian revealed that in a leaked 2017 letter to Theresa May, Rudd had told the Prime Minister of her intention to increase deportations by 10 per cent, seemingly at odds with her recent denials that she was aware of deportation targets.

Tighter border policies are in part a legacy of May's time as interior minister - a role she held for six years before becoming prime minister in 2016. The scandal has prompted a wider debate about the government's harsh methods against illegal immigration.

Voted against banning the immigration detention of those who are pregnant and against guidance to be taken into account on the immigration detention of vulnerable people.

On Monday [30 April] morning, campaigners from Global Justice Now protested outside the Home Office in Westminster, presenting banners stating "end the hostile environment" and "no human is illegal".

She felt it "necessary" to tender her resignation after the emergence of documents showing those goals were in place. "This is about British citizens, and frankly it is deeply offensive to conflate the Windrush generation with illegal immigrants to try and distract from the Windrush crisis".

Rudd was a strong supporter for staying in the bloc, and Javid will now replace her on key cabinet committees that will help decide the future of Britain's relationship with the European Union ahead of Brexit day in March 2019.

But the root cause of that cruelty is the Prime Minister's choice to create a hostile environment.

Responding to her comments, Theresa May said she was "pleased" to be given the opportunity to thank Mrs Rudd for "the work she did as Home Secretary".

He vowed to "do right by the Windrush generation".

It is worth comparing and contrasting the behaviour of Tory colleagues when Priti Patel and Amber Rudd were in danger of losing their jobs.

United Kingdom global development secretary, Penny Mordaunt, takes on the additional role of minister for equalities.

When it looked she would have to go, her colleagues remained silent.

"I think there are many political fingerprints over the mishandling of Windrush cases, including going back to the Tony Blair years", he said.

She said: "In a system with no independent appeals or checks to stop unfair removals, it would be extremely troubling if bonuses were paid for removal targets".

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